Mastiff: The Legend of Beka Cooper #3 (Beka Cooper, #3)

by Tamora Pierce

A New York Times bestseller from the fantasy author who is legend herself: TAMORA PIERCE. In the final book in the Beka Cooper Trilogy, Beka uses her unique magic and street smarts to crack the case that will change an empire!

The more secret the Hunt, the more dangerous the mission.

Sometimes a distraction arrives at just the right time. After suffering a terrible loss, Beka is grateful when Lord Gershom calls on her with a top-secret Hunt. He informs Beka that she and her scent hound, Achoo, are the best team for the job, but he won't tell her anything else. And when the pair is joined by a wide-eyed young mage who seems too green to be on a case of such importance, it becomes clear that threats lurk around every corner. Soon they are wading deep into a world of power, corruption, and betrayal that threatens the Tortall royal family. Beka must decide whom she can trust with her country's future . . . and her life.

The Beka Cooper Trilogy introduces an amazing young woman who is the ancestor of one of Tamora Pierce's most popular characters: George Cooper. Here, Pierce gives fans exactly what they want—a smart, savvy heroine making a name for herself on the mean streets of Tortall's Lower City—while offering plenty to appeal to new readers as well!

"Tamora Pierce's books shaped me not only as a young writer but also as a young woman. She is a pillar, an icon, and an inspiration. Cracking open one of her marvelous novels always feels like coming home."
—SARAH J. MAAS, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"Tamora Pierce didn't just blaze a trail. Her heroines cut a swath through the fantasy world with wit, strength, and savvy. Her stories still lead the vanguard today. Pierce is the real lioness, and we're all just running to keep pace."
—LEIGH BARDUGO, #1 New York Times bestselling author

• ISBN10: 0375893288
• ISBN13: 9780375893285
• Publish Date: 25 October 2011 (first published 1 January 2011)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Random House Books for Young Readers
• Format: eBook
• Pages: 322
• Language: English

Reviews

[wyvernfriend]

I get the problems, but I liked it. Beka Cooper, the ancestress of George Cooper of later books, deals with the problems of love that wasn't, losing a partner, finding love, being betrayed and rescuing a prince. She's a great character and I liked how it was done. Yes I would have liked to know how Holborn played with her but it's almost irrevelant. I am somewhat sorry that she didn't make it with Rosto, but this was a nice change from the insta-eternal-love that often over-populates fiction.

[Kelsenator]

Originally posted on my blog Kelsey's Cluttered Bookshelf

This is the third and Final book of the Beka Cooper Trilogy. I have loved reading all of Tamora’s other works, and she’s one of my favourite authors, so of course I read this as soon as I could.

The tales of Beka Cooper are set many years before the rest of her books, involving Alanna, Daine and Kel, and by the last name, she’s an ancestor of the awesome George Cooper.

At first, I was a bit lost as the book started, being as it’s been a few years since the last book left off, but you quickly get back into it. These books are written as a type of journal that Beka keeps so she remembers what happens, if she needs to report it later. She works with the Provost Guard as a Dog, a kind of police for the realm or Tortall, and after missions she needs to report what happened.Writing this way keeps her memory sharp too, as she says.

The characters are all interesting and different. Pounce is one of my favourites, the constellation in the form of a cat that helps guide Beka, and of course her scent dog Achoo is awesome. Her companions that join her along the way are a good diverse group, the strong lady knight Sabine, her fellow Dog Tunstall, and Farmer the mage who brings little laughs during the book.

I won’t say exactly what happens so as not to spoil anything, but her and her companions end up on a Hunt, with her scent hound and partners they search the land for someone. I love the fact that there’s never a dull moment in this book, there’s lots of twists and turns, lots of action and a couple of battles, but there’s also thinking and a deep plot in the book.

I admit that I was quite surprised near the end, after they found who they were looking for. I was not expecting that, but it was definitely a twist!

I suggest that anyone who likes magic, sword battles, and other cool worlds pick up the first book in this series, and read all three. Then of course go onto the other novels as well!